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Topic: Icon Question (Read 6574 times)

Can anyone explain to me what this icon represents? A picture of it was given to me by a friend, and I rather liked it, so I have inserted it into the front of a Bible, but I should like to gain a better understanding of it. (It gets bigger if you click on it.)

« Last Edit: May 05, 2009, 05:13:51 AM by David Young »

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"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5.15

The symbolism and portral style is just all wrong. For example, missing the proper inscription in the halo, the wrong colours of red robe respresenting divity and blue cloak representing humanity (God put on humanity) are missing. It just looks like contemporary non-Orthodox art to me.

The symbolism and portral style is just all wrong. For example, missing the proper inscription in the halo, the wrong colours of red robe respresenting divity and blue cloak representing humanity (God put on humanity) are missing. It just looks like contemporary non-Orthodox art to me.

It's a Coptic (Oriental) Orthodox icon. I do know that I have seen icons (Eastern Orthodox) of Jesus without the "O W N" in the halo.

Do eastern orthodox icon depict The Lord with the open wounds like this as well.. i never seen one...

Hi, again I find myself posting a link to a parallel thread in another forum. - not to advertise that forum over this one but perhaps to provide information discussed there as a basis for discussion on this forum:

Do eastern orthodox icon depict The Lord with the open wounds like this as well.. i never seen one...

My parish has one of Christ on the cross, and He is depicted with open wounds. Other than that, I have not seen wounds. It stands to reason that an icon of Christ showing Himself to St. Thomas would show the wounds, but I have not seen such an icon. Does one exist?

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"It is remarkable that what we call the world...in what professes to be true...will allow in one man no blemishes, and in another no virtue."--Charles Dickens

Many thanks! That seems to answer my question. The friend who gave me the picture of the icon did spend some years working as a schoolteacher in the Middle East - Lebanon, I think - and it may be that his sojourn and travels in those parts brought him to this icon. He ended his exemplary life as a licensed "reader" in the Anglican Church in Wales.

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"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5.15

The symbolism and portral style is just all wrong. For example, missing the proper inscription in the halo, the wrong colours of red robe respresenting divity and blue cloak representing humanity (God put on humanity) are missing.

This is silly. The symbolism is not "all wrong." Symbolism by nature is subjective; it cannot be right or wrong. It is simply the case that the symbolism employed in Coptic Orthodox iconography is informed by Coptic culture.

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No longer an active member of this forum. Sincerest apologies to anyone who has taken offence to anything posted in youthful ignorance or negligence prior to my leaving this forum - October, 2012.

"Philosophy is the imitation by a man of what is better, according to what is possible" - St Severus

Do eastern orthodox icon depict The Lord with the open wounds like this as well.. i never seen one...

This feature of the icon would make sense to one who was aware of the story of St Pishoi. St Pishoi's literal/physical encounter with the Lord Christ began as an encounter with an old man who was neglected by the rest of the monks despite his cry for their service. This old man was in actual fact Christ Himself, and He revealed Himself to St Pishoi as such by the display of His crucifixion wounds.

Again, for the sake of emphasis: the display of crucifixion wounds in this icon uniquely relates to the life of the very Saint who is the subject of the icon in the first place.

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No longer an active member of this forum. Sincerest apologies to anyone who has taken offence to anything posted in youthful ignorance or negligence prior to my leaving this forum - October, 2012.

"Philosophy is the imitation by a man of what is better, according to what is possible" - St Severus

Do eastern orthodox icon depict The Lord with the open wounds like this as well.. i never seen one...

This feature of the icon would make sense to one who was aware of the story of St Pishoi. St Pishoi's literal/physical encounter with the Lord Christ began as an encounter with an old man who was neglected by the rest of the monks despite his cry for their service. This old man was in actual fact Christ Himself, and He revealed Himself to St Pishoi as such by the display of His crucifixion wounds.

Again, for the sake of emphasis: the display of crucifixion wounds in this icon uniquely relates to the life of the very Saint who is the subject of the icon in the first place.

These wall paintings in an Orthodox church in Lagia (Peleponnese) struck me as resembling the Bayeux tapestry, or carvings at churches like Daglingworth (England) from before 1066, more than the usual Greek iconography. Any comments?

« Last Edit: May 21, 2011, 04:48:32 PM by David Young »

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"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5.15

Psalm 113, "From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised." (So said the Greek icon-seller who sold it to me, and once he said it, the letters fell into place and are obviously that verse.)

The green circle - is it a representation of the sun? a sun-dial? something else of religious significance?

« Last Edit: March 25, 2012, 03:18:52 PM by David Young »

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"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5.15

Thank you. And I even had an hour with a bishop! (I think the correct words are Byzantine Catholic, but they regard themselves as Orthodox.) All the icons on sale are in Greek, imported from Greece: if you want one in Arbëresh, you have to order it specially from an iconographer , though there are some in churches.

« Last Edit: March 25, 2012, 03:23:04 PM by David Young »

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"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5.15

The green circle - is it a representation of the sun? a sun-dial? something else of religious significance?

It represents the voice of God, I believe. In some icons a hand is shown indicating God's approval or blessing.

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But it had not been in Tess's power - nor is it in anybody's power - to feel the whole truth of golden opinions while it is possible to profit by them. She - and how many more - might have ironically said to God with Saint Augustine, "Thou hast counselled a better course than thou hast permitted."

Can anyone comment on this icon? - the gestures, the facial expression, the icongraphic meanings, etc?

To add to what others have written, Prophet David is looking up at the presence of God (the motif in the upper right-hand corner), in humility, and with a hand raised in supplication and deference to the Divine. This motif can also be rendered with a hand blessing within it, or, in the case of NT saints, Christ Himself may be seen blessing the saint. The radiant blue circle represents the uncreated light and glory of God, and is known as a mandorla. The deferential, supplicatory raised hand of saints and righteous ones is an extremely common feature in iconography.

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It can also be found in icons of Theophany, the Annunciation, and Pentecost as God and sending the Holy Spirit.

And by no means only in these icons. Countless other icons have this motif.

On our recent holiday in Greece, my wife and I were struck by the number of times the Prophet Elijah was brought to our minds. Almost the very first village we went to was itself called by that name (see photo for the path to it). Sign-posts, churches... till in the end I bought an icon of him after talking with the monk who welcomes visitors at Nea Filosofou monastery (near Dimitsana). Two questions to you:

1) Why do the vast majority of the icons of him depict him (as in mine) being fed by the raven, rather than his ascension in his chariot to heaven, or his presence at the 'Metamorphosis'/Transfiguration (though these do apepar as well of course)?

2) Why is he such an important and ubiquitous figure in Greece?

« Last Edit: June 13, 2012, 04:41:35 AM by David Young »

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"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5.15

1) Why do the vast majority of the icons of him depict him (as in mine) being fed by the raven, rather than his ascension in his chariot to heaven, or his presence at the 'Metamorphosis'/Transfiguration (though these do apepar as well of course)?

In my experience, the numbers of icons of Prophet Elijah in the fiery chariot and sitting at the mouth of his cave looking at the raven are about equal, irrespective of regional provenance or age.

The Transfiguration icon is primarily an icon of Christ; the presence of the three apostles and the two prophets is of great theological importance, but the icon is not about them per se.

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2) Why is he such an important and ubiquitous figure in Greece?

For the same reason he is greatly venerated in all the Orthodox world: He is regarded as a protector against fire, and is also invoked during times of drought to intercede for rain to fall. There are specific litany petitions which ask for his intercession which can be read during a Divine Liturgy during times of fire, drought or flood.

I wanted an icon with the words in Arbëresh, the Albanian dialect of Sicily, but none seems to exist: at the icon shop down from the cathedral in Piana degli Albanesi (Hora e Arbëreshëvet) I could find only Greek. So I bought a picture of an icon of King ("the Prophet") David, with a verse which, for reasons I needn’t ramble on about now, has spiritual significance for me. I was surprised to notice that in “The Prophet David”, the middle letter of David is V, not beta (B) as I would have expected. All the rest is in Greek characters. I should appreciate your comment or explanation on this.

I would upload a picture of the icon, but every time I try to upload a picture I get the message that the upload folder is full, even though I ensure my attachments are always smaller than the permitted size. No-one ever tells me how to do it in their replies!

« Last Edit: July 21, 2015, 01:17:10 PM by David Young »

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"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5.15